13 schools recognized by MDE for positive gains

The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) released its Multiple Measurement Ratings (MMRs) this week and several Minneapolis public schools show progress in academic growth. Thirteen schools are highlighted for positive gains.

MMR is the new accountability reporting system under the Minnesota Elementary and Secondary Education Act Waiver, also known as the No Child Left Behind Waiver. It consists of four equally weighted measures to determine school performance: proficiency; growth, achievement gap reduction and graduation rates (high schools only).The schools that receive Title I funds are eligible for one of the five school designations. Of those designations; Reward, Celebration Eligible and Continuous Improvement are assigned every year. Priority and Focus designations remain for three consecutive years, unless the school makes significant progress for two consecutive years. Adequate Yearly Progress from 2013 and MMR results reflect student performance from the 2012-2013 school year.

Some of the best news today comes at the high school level. Patrick Henry High School has been designated a Reward School, a designation given to the top 15 percent of state Title I schools in the MMR. Henry was one of the highest performing schools on the four measurements.

Edison High School also received great news, moving off the list of the schools included in the School Improvement Grant (SIG) program, designed for the most persistently low-performing 5 percent of Title I schools in the state. Wellstone also experienced enough growth to be taken off the SIG list. The school is now designated Celebration Eligible.

Four Focus schools, Marcy, Northrop, Pratt and Waite Park, received MMRs high enough to be considered eligible to apply for the Celebration School recognition. Although these schools will remain in the Focus status, they are eligible to apply to be Celebration Eligible in light of exceptional progress."I am particularly pleased with Edison, Henry and Wellstone high schools. The principals, teachers and support staff at these schools have worked so hard to achieve better outcomes for students. These schools deserve recognition. It proves that success comes with strong staff, strategies and commitment to excellence," said Dr. Bernadeia Johnson, superintendent of schools.

Two schools, Anwatin Middle and Jefferson Community, were taken off the list of schools designated as Continuous Improvement. Anthony Middle, for the second year in a row, has been designated Celebration Eligible. Kenny improved its designation from Focus to Celebration Eligible. Ramsey and Sanford middle schools were both designated as Celebration Eligible schools.

Dr. Johnson applauds the progress, expressing optimism that other schools can replicate some of the successful strategies implemented at the nine schools recognized by the state. "It's nice to see growth. It's definitely movement in the right direction, but we still have a lot of work to do. We must continue acting with a sense of urgency. All of our students deserve a quality education that gives them choices after high school," she said.